Only Time Will Tell
by louloucn
Summary: As Lionel Luthor summons Lex to take his rightful place as the next one in line to take over the Luthor empire, as Lex begins to remember events of the past and the tragic loss of Lana years ago, and wonders if she may still be alive.
1. Part I Twists of Fate

Title: Only time can tell 

Feedback: Yes please. 

Summary: As Lionel Luthor summons Lex to take his rightful place as the next one in line to take over the Luthor empire, Lex struggles with his emotional well being as he begins to remember events of the past and the tragic loss of Lana years ago, and wonders if the love of his life may still be alive. 

Spoilers: Everything that happened in the first season of _Smallville.._

Rating: mostly PG-13 but with a little NC-17 mixed in. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Lex or Lana or any of the characters in _Smallville._ I just write this stuff for fun. 

Note: This story was inspired by the question of what movie would you put Lex and Lana. I pondered that question and then came up with a great idea. A decided homage of sorts to the film _Waking the Dead, _this is fanfic adaptation of the story if it happened in the _Smallville_ world. Of course it can't be a dead on remake of the tale so I had to change some things and take out other things, but the basic storyline is there and as you can see, I think that what happens to the Fielding and Sarah, the main characters of _Waking the Dead, _can also apply to Lex and Lana. 

I will also borrow some dialogue that was used in the movie too. Credit goes to Scott Spencer who wrote the novel that the movie was based on as well as Robert Dillon, who wrote the screenplay. Also, like the movie, I will write in stage directions just because I find my mind works like that. Like a director. Like a storyboard. I think it would give you, as a reader, a better idea of what I'm seeing. 

**** 

2008 

_Grey. All you can hear are gentle tappings, as if someone is typing on a computer. The camera slowly pulls out to reveal a smooth, dark gray floor. The camera pans out even further and starts to inch its way towards the direction of the sound. The camera creeps closely to the floor as the sound of the typing get louder. The camera finally stops in front of large mahogany table as it scans upwards towards the top of the desk. Sitting on top of the desk is a state of the art black flat screen computer, as you finally see who is staring intensely at it._

Lex stared almost blankly at the computer screen in front of him. As he propped his chin unto his hand, with his fingers gently tapping the side of his head, he attempted to focus on the figures that scrolled down the screen. He didn't know how long he had been working but now he struggled just to make out any number that he had written. Usually he would be able to focus, working like a madman, but tonight, it just seemed like he couldn't concentrate. Maybe it was just the numbers that were finally getting to him. He gently rubbed his temples as he rolled his head around, which was aching from sitting for so long. He rubbed his eyes and sighed heavily. He looked over at his watch and noticed that it was almost midnight. Staring back at the screen once more, the problems that laid before him was just making him ill. The numbers weren't adding up and it was driving him mad. 

Staring out the penthouse window from his apartment, he smiled slightly at the view. The storm that had brewed outside had calmed down tremendously. It was pretty surprising how only a hour ago, a storm was raging outside, blowing debris everywhere in Metropolis. The storm had even caused a minor blackout throughout the city. Now all the remained of it was beads of rain that ran down the window glass. 

As he turned his head back towards the screen, he rolled his eyes and grudgingly went back to work, typing a few keys on his computer, hoping it would fix the calculating problem right there. He had to a business meeting tomorrow with some very lucrative business partners and there was no way that he could screw it up. As he looked at the figures once more, he reached across the table to pick up the remote and pointed towards the far wall of his office. As he pressed the button, the wooden panels slowly moved apart to reveal a large flat screen tv, which spanned almost completely across the length and width of the wall. He clicked quickly up and down the channels, looking for the nightly news. It was a daily ritual for him to quickly get the day's news at night since he never really had the time to watch during the rest of his day. Although the tv was on, he didn't really pay much attention to what was going on, as he devoted his concentration on the computer screen. 

_…__A violent storm plagued Metropolis tonight as Superman saves the day__…_

Although he didn't hear everything the anchorwoman was saying, Lex started to chuckle a little at the mention of Superman. This strange man or being had appeared out of nowhere to Metropolis a couple of years ago and about every disaster that had happened in the city, Superman was there to save them. It intrigued him a little this mysterious man, who apparently had super powers that were god-like. From the moment he had made his first appearance, Lex always had a strange fascination with this phenomenon who possessed supernatural abilities that were so unbelievable that it baffled him every time. Although he admired the man for his strength, he also had a great respect for his good virtues and morals. It was really hard for him to fathom a person who would go out every day to save the world. And explaining why oh why, out of all things to wear, the man would choose blue underwear over red tights was beyond him. And there was always something about him that was so terribly familiar…He then managed to draw himself away from the glare of the computer and focused his attention on the spectacle that the local news was going to make about Superman's heroic feats tonight. 

_…with hurricane-force winds, the mysterious man in tights had once again gotten himself in the midst of the chaos, saving the lives of hundreds within the Metropolis area, including citizens on the Metropolis metro as the train nearly jumped the tracks__._

"Impressive." Lex admitted as he listened on watching reporters interviewing people on the streets, obviously shaken by the traumatic experience. 

_… __while the storm has made a obvious impact on the city, fortunately reports from outside regions have reported little damage or fatalities__…. _

Lex finally let out a huge sigh of relief as he heard those words. He didn't need to worry about Lana. She was visiting Nell in Smallville that weekend so she was safe. However, thoughts of worry didn't completely leave his mind as he wondered about her. Maybe he should call Nell and ask if they were alright. 

_…__although Superman had managed to rescue many, there were some who weren't as fortunate__…_

Lex then picked up the phone next to him and began to dial. 

_…__I'm reporting live at the Metropolis Bridge tonight as paramedics, police and firefighters are still trying to assess the damage caused by a major three car collision__…_

As he continued to dial, a knot began to twist in his gut as he watched further. He stood up from his chair and walked around his desk to get a closer look. He could see two cars in the background, smashed up completely while the police were trying to fish another vehicle from the river. 

_…__Although it is not complete certain the condition of all the victims here, sources has been telling us that three are in critical condition and two bodies drowned, including one being identified as Lana Lang__…_

Lex immediately dropped the phone from his hands and stood there, frozen, unable to speak or move. 

___Lana Lang is the longtime girlfriend of Lex Luthor, son of Lionel Luthor, CEO of Luthorcorps, one of the most powerful enterprises in the world today__…._

He put his hands on his head as he began to tremble, his arms shaking with intensity and his mouth gaped in horror. "It couldn't be… ", he thought to himself as his eyes began to glare over and the tears beginning to form. Then her face appeared on the screen, a picture taken recently of her, with her dark hair flowing, her eyes sparkling, and her smile shining brightly. It returned back towards the scene of the accident as the reality began to sink in. There, as clear as daylight, laid the remains of Lana's red truck. Lex began to sink down towards the ground as his legs gave in and couldn't stand any longer. The shaking became worse as nothing now could stop them from shaking. He literally could feel his stomach begin to twist and pull and his heart stop beating. His mouth was still opened from the sheer shock of the news. Now he felt as if his body began to rip apart, staring from his heart and pulling into shreds from within towards the outside. For a moment, all the sound that could be heard was the voices still reporting onscreen, as Lex couldn't even mouth a single word. And then, a piercing cry unleashed itself from his lips, echoing throughout the empty penthouse. As he held his head in his hands, his screams turned into uncontrollable sobs, with his eyes flooded with tears as all of his pain and agony began to pour out of him for the world to hear…. 

_The camera pulls away from Lex's face towards the clock that hangs on top of the wall behind him. The time is 12:15. Lex's painful sobs can still be heard as the screen fades to black._

**** 

2006 

_The screen fades in to another clock. It also shows 12:15. The camera pans out to reveal a cute little coffee shop bustling with customers coming in and out, sitting at numerous coffee tables and armchairs. All you can hear is chattering, the sound of various coffee makers, and the chimes on the door as it opens and closes constantly. The camera moves around, scanning the random faces in the shop as it settles on a figure, hidden away behind a large opened newspaper of the Daily Planet._

Lex folded up the pages of the Daily Planet, as began to shake his head at the news he just read. Something along the lines of a mysterious man in red tights stopping a robbery in Metropolis. "Of all the crazy things…"he thought to himself, as he folded up the newspaper widthwise and looked at both his watch and the clock on the wall. Clark had said that he'd meet him at 12 today and now it was 12:15 and still there was no sign of Clark. Although both Lex and Clark were both busy people these days, they still managed to remain best friends after all these years. They talked on the phone regularly and often met each other once a week for lunch ever since they both relocated to Metropolis. Clark was still trying to finish college and interned at a small independent newspaper. Although Lex had offered to pull some strings to get him a job at the Spectator or the Daily Planet, Clark politely refused his offer since he wanted to become a journalist on his own, without any help. Lex complied to Clark's wishes as he knew that Clark was grateful of his gestures but he also knew that Clark just needed to do things by himself, which he respected and understood. 

Lex stared as his watch once more as he sipped the coffee from his large coffee cup. In all of this time, Clark was never once late and he wondered what was taking him so long. Usually it wouldn't bother him so much but today he had wanted to see Clark before he was about to go on his business trip to Europe and it would at least another month until he'd see him. As Lex sat in his chair, deep in thought, his mind began to wander as he heard a familiar voice nearby. 

"Yes I'll have a strawberry Italian soda please." 

Lex turned around to see where the voice came from, as the waiter began to walk away, clearing Lex's view. There, sitting in a deep purple armchair was a young woman with wavy long hair, sunglasses perched on top of her head, deeply engrossed in a copy of Wuthering Heights. Although he couldn't fully see the side of her face, he knew for certain who it was. He smiled widely as he stood up to approach her. 

"Still with the defensive reading I see." Lex remarked as he tapped the top of her book. 

She jumped in her chair a little as she looked up. As she recognized at Lex's unmistakable face staring down at her, her face instantly lit up. "Lex!" she exclaimed, smiling widely. She instantly jumped out of her seat to give him a big hug. "How are you?" 

"I'm fine," Lex replied, as he held her close and took in the sweet scent of her hair. "now that you're here." He pulled back for just a moment to take a good look at her. It had been a long time since he had even seen her and although she looked older dressed in a pair of fitted khaki capris, a white embroidered, peasant styled shirt and a jean jacket, there was a part of the young Lana Lang that peered out. "You look good, Lana. Really good." 

"Thanks. You don't look half bad yourself." Lana asked as she mocking began to check him out. "Still wearing those Italian suits aren't you." She said as she fingered the dark jacket he wore and touched the collar of his white shirt. "Not that I'm complaining." She giggled with a smile. "How long has it been since we last saw each other Lex? God, it seems like such a lifetime ago!" 

"I think the last time was Clark's graduation party. That was two years ago." Lex replied. "When did you get back from Europe? I mean Clark would talk about you whenever you sent him a postcard, an e-mail or a call, but Clark hasn't say anything about it." 

"Maybe it's because I haven't told him." Lana admitted with a sly grin on her face. "Even though I've been back for a couple of months now, I never felt like I needed to tell anybody since I hadn't run into anybody. The only person that knows I'm here is Nell and now you." 

"Well Clark's going to find out pretty soon. I'm supposed to be meeting him for lunch actually," Lex answered as he looked at his watch once more and sighed. "But he is strangely late." Then he gave Lana a weird smirk and she just smiled. 

Suddenly, the coffee door suddenly burst open as if the wind blew it open. Lex quickly turned his head as Clark suddenly stood behind of him, with the most apologetic expression on his face. 

"Lex, were you waiting long? I'm sorry, I just had so much to do, hey Lana, and I los.."Clark explained but stopped a minute, as his head did a double take as he saw Lana's face over Lex's shoulder, tilting her face, smiling and waving at him. He looked at her with confusion for a minute and then he began to grin widely. "Lana! What are you doing here?" He quickly sidestepped Lex to go give her a big hug. 

Lana hugged him back as he lifted her off the floor. "I've just got back from Europe." A few moments later, Clark gently set her back on the floor and looked at her. "Why didn't you call? All of us would have been so happy to know you were in town. Are you going to be staying permanently?" 

"I'm sorry Clark for not calling. I just wanted to settle in Metropolis before I even wanted to talk to anyone." She replied and then nodded assuringly." And don't worry, I'm planning on staying." 

As Clark broke away from her, he smiled even more. "Well you've got to come to lunch with us. We've got to catch up." 

"Are you sure I'm not intruding on some quality male bonding time?" Lana teased with a laugh. 

Clark and Lex gave each other a look and smiled at her. "Nah," Lex replied, as he wrapped his arm around Clark's neck in a headlock. "We've bonded enough, Right Clark?" 

"Definitely. Come Lana, it'd be fun." Clark urged her. 

"Well I'm not going to be having another class for awhile," Lana replied as she quickly picked up her book and stuffed it into her canvas bag. " so I'm up for it." As she walked ahead of them, she turned her head back towards them and flashed them a smile. Lex and Clark just walked behind her, both wondering what's been happening in Lana Lang's life since she disappeared from their lives. 

****

The lunch flew by in what felt like an instant. Although Lana had not seen either Clark or Lex since the end of high school, as they busily spoke of their lives, it just seemed as if they've never been apart. Although it was inevitable that all of them had changed in the last two years, in some ways, they were very much the same people that had lived in Smallville so very long ago. As Lana talked of her adventures in Paris and Italy, Lex told her about his progress at making it on his own in the business world, and Clark told her about Pete moving down to LA to try to get into acting, his and Chloe's struggles to make a mark in the journalism world, as well as all that he knew was still going on in Smallville. 

"I go down to visit at least once a month." Clark explained to her as they walked out of the restaurant. "My folks are doing okay on the farm and Nell too with the Talon." 

"Yeah I know." Lana replied, as she walked between Clark and Lex and sipped on her coffee. "I call her regularly to see how she's doing. She's a little tired but overall she's fine." She paused a little. "So have you heard from Whitney?" 

Clark and Lex hesitated for a second. "No we haven't seen him." Clark admitted, feeling the awkwardness of the subject. "But my mom sometimes talks with his mom and she says that he's fine." 

"Guys, you don't have to feel weird about Whitney." Lana assured them as she felt the tension. "Whitney and I ended it a long time ago and it's okay between the two of us. Honest." 

As they walked on, the constant chattering drifted into silence, with Clark walking further ahead of Lex and Lana, who casually strolled behind him. They just smiled at each other occasionally as they each wondered what the other was thinking. Lana would sneak a peak at Lex and pondered if he was still the enigma she had left behind in Smallville. Even though they had what she would call a quiet understanding after those years of doing business together with the Talon, she never felt like she truly knew him. And whenever Lana would peer through a store window, Lex would quickly glance at her in awe of how much a couple of years can change a person. The last time he had seen her, Lana was on the verge of becoming a woman and now she was a woman. A beautiful woman. Not that she was beautiful before but now she had more ease and confidence, and even though she was only 20, those who truly looked into her hazel eyes would know that she was wise beyond her years; all of which made her even more exquisite. 

As he peered her way once more, suddenly her head turned towards him and their eyes locked. Although inside he felt embarrassed to get caught staring at her, he tried his best to maintain his cool as he shrugged slightly and smiled. She in turn smiled back at him as if she knew better and then they both started to laugh. They were so caught up in a quiet fit of laughter, Lex didn't even think to look up to where he was going when out of the blue, he walked smack dab into Clark, who had stood immobile. 

"Are you okay Lex?" Lana asked she ran to his aid. 

"I'm fine Lana. Clark I'm so sorry." Lex said apologetically. "I didn't stop to look whe…" He was in mid-sentence when he stopped as he looked at the worried expression on Clark's face. Lex couldn't really say, but it was as if he was hearing something, listening intently that was upsetting him. But there was nothing to be heard except for the noise from the city and the traffic. "Clark what's wrong?" 

"Nothing Lex." Clark said distractedly. "I just…I just have to…someone's in trou.. I..I.. have to get back to school now. I thought I had more time but I just remembered the time and now I think I'm late. I'm sorry Lex. I'm sorry to you too Lana but I really have to go. I'll call you guys later okay?" As Clark apologized, Lex couldn't help but notice the tension and worry in his eyes and his urgency. 

"Well do you need a ride Clark because I could drive you." Lex offered. 

"Yeah, let Lex drive you." Lana agreed. 

"No, that's okay Lex. I'll walk." Clark answered back as he looked even more anxious to leave. 

"Don't be silly Clark." Lex replied as he looked down. "You walking by foot can't be as fast…," as he looked up again, Clark was gone. "as my Porsche…" He looked around him and only Lana was left by his side. "Well okay then." He then glanced over at Lana. "Where did he go?" 

"Don't ask me." Lana raised her shoulders in question. "I just looked away for a second and then he was gone. It was so weird." She paused a little but then smiled. "But then again, Clark was always disappearing somewhere, keeping secrets. I guess things haven't changed that much since I left." 

"No. We are pretty much the same." Lex said with a laugh. "Yeah, I'm clueless about Clark sometimes. One minute he'll be there and the next he's nowhere to be found. And to tell you the truth, it's getting worse. On the other hand, he is still the most loyal person I have ever met in my life." 

"There's no one more upright and good than Clark." Lana agreed, as she turned around and stopped, swaying her bag from side to side on her shoulder. "Well, I probably should be going. I have a class lecture at three." 

"And I should get back to work." Lex admitted, think of the mounds of paperwork still piled up on his desk. 

"Yeah maybe you should." Lana said with a smile. "Gosh it was so great to see you." She continued as she wrapped her arms around him. 

"It was great to you too Lana." Lex answered with an almost heavy sigh. Now with his arms around her, he didn't know if he could really pull himself away from her. Before the scent of her hair was just a drifting memory. Now the scent had become intoxicating. It was as if he was breathing her in. He slowly but reluctantly drew away. 

"Maybe we could see each other next week or something." Lana suggested, still touching his arms. 

"I'm going to be gone for a month on a business trip." Lex sighed. "But I wish we could." 

"Oh I forgot." Lana realized. "I guess I'll see you when I see you." She gently moved her hands up to his shirt and straightened his shirt collar. As she gave him a quick smile, she slowly turned around. "Bye Lex." 

"Bye Lana." Lex whispered under his breath as he turned the other way, walking towards where he had left his car. He walked a couple of steps until he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. He swiftly turned his head around and yelled out the only words he could muster in his mind: "DO YOU WANT TO HAVE DINNER WITH ME TONIGHT?" 

He held his breath as he watch Lana walking away from a distance stopped. The moment seemed to last forever. At last, words blurted out, ending the silence. "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?". As Lana turned towards him, all she could see was the biggest grin on his face. 

**** 

  
2016 

_Screen fades to white as it fades back in to a blur. As the screen begins to focus, you can see flurries falling outside, with a view of a large window from the inside. As the camera pans out, all you can see a dark silhouette of a bald-headed man standing very still, his arms crossed behind his back._

"Mr Luthor? Mr Luthor? Did you hear the last numbers?" a small diminutive voice called out. 

"Yes. I can hear perfectly fine." A stern, emotionless voice answered back. 

" As you can see sir," another voice called out from the long conference table. "From the numbers we've calculated for the last three months, Luthorcorp is beating Lexcorp in sales by 15%. Our profit margins are decline and our foreign investments are not doing as well as we had hoped. But in our other numb.." 

"Is that all you have to say?" the dark voice asked calmly. 

"Sir, these months have been hard but…" 

"Is that all you HAVE to say?" 

"But sir, if you can look at…" 

"I'm not going to look at anything. Let me get this straight once and for all. I'm not here to hear your failures. I'm not here to hear your excuses." As he turned around, all you could see was an expression on Lex's face that meant business. "And I'm sick of hearing numbers!" He slammed his fist on the dark, ebony table, making every single one sitting around it nearly jump out of their seats. "I WANT RESULTS!" 

a wave of silence swept over the room as they tried to anticipate the words that would come out of his mouth. 

"Luthorcorp has been steadily been trying undermine the progress and success of Lexcorp for years and every time you people come in here and blab on and on, all you can give me are numbers. Well I'm BORED. Get it through your head people! NUMBERS DON'T CUT IT. I'm not paying you good money just to let you squander all your time on percentages and such. This is a business and all that matters here is that we WIN. THAT'S IT. There's no middle ground here. There's no maybes. All there is that we win and they lose. I don't care what it takes but WE won't rest until Luthorcorp buried and dead, six feet underground. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" 

All shook their heads in unison, as well as shook in fear. 

Lex sighed again as he turned away from them and looked outside once more. "Now just get out and leave my sight immediately. Meeting's OVER!" He really didn't know why he had so many incompetent people working for him. They were like droids just waiting for instructions, with only half a brain to work with. And every board meeting always ended in the same way: with him ordering them to leave his sight. _God, I need an Advil_ he thought to himself as he rubbed his temples and sighed heavily. 

"Sir?" a small petrified voice interrupted his thoughts. 

"What is it Claudia?" he sighed he turned towards his shy assistant. 

"umm.. there's something… something…office…" she mumbled. 

As he walked towards the doorway, he grabbed the folders she held in her hands, and walked away from her, leaving her trailing behind. "I don't have ALL day Claudia… just spit it out…." 

"There's something…someone…I tried sir…"she continued, trying to catch up to his hurried pace. 

"What? Claudia, you going to have to be more clear…" Lex continued, as he became more aggravated by her stuttering. She was a great assistant, there was no doubt about that, but whenever she got nervous, she would go on this neverending rant that would last forever until he figured it out on his own. He quickly turned the corner, his head bowed down, walking towards his office. 

"Mr Luthor, what I'm trying to say sir is that..um…someone… is…you know… your…" she continued, trying her hardest to say the words. 

"Claudia," Lex said impatiently as he burst into his office. "I don't have…. all day…." As he looked, the surprise that awaited him in his office made him suddenly feel sick. "What the hell are you doing here?!" 

His leather chair spun around to reveal his Lionel Luthor, sitting quite comfortably with a glass of brandy in one hand, a cigar in the other, and a large grin on his face. "Well hello to you…_son_." 


	2. Part II A Sense of Destiny

Title: Only time can tell

Feedback: Yes please. 

Summary: As Lionel Luthor summons Lex to take his rightful place as the next one in line to take over the Luthor empire, Lex struggles with his emotional well being as he begins to remember events of the past and the tragic loss of Lana years ago, and wonders if the love of his life may still be alive. 

Spoilers: Everything that happened in the first season of _Smallville._ (after the tornado came, Clark did save Lana but Lionel did not become blind. Whitney's still gone, Clark and Chloe never finished their date, and everything else is the same, got it?) 

Pairing: obviously Lex/Lana but as for the other couples, you'll just have to wait and see okay? 

Rating: mostly PG-13 but with a little NC-17 mixed in. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Lex or Lana or any of the characters in _Smallville._ I just write this stuff for fun. 

Note: This story was inspired by the question of what movie would you put Lex and Lana. I pondered that question and then came up with a great idea. A decided homage of sorts to the film _Waking the Dead, _this is a fanfic adaptation of the story if it happened in the _Smallville_ world. Of course it can't be a dead on remake of the tale so I had to change some things and take out other things, but the basic storyline is there and as you can see, I think that what happens to the Fielding and Sarah, the main characters of _Waking the Dead, _can also apply to Lex and Lana. 

I will also borrow some dialogue that was used in the movie too. Credit goes to Scott Spencer who wrote the novel that the movie was based on as well as Robert Dillon, who wrote the screenplay. Also, like the movie, I will write in stage directions just because I find my mind works like that. Like a director. Like a storyboard. I think it would give you, as a reader, a better idea of what I'm seeing. 

**** 

Part II- A Sense of Destiny

Lex stood, simmering in anger as who stood before him was none other than his estranged father. Although he had not seen him in public in a couple of months, he still looked the same. A little paler and maybe physically weak, but his calculating mind made up for all of that. Looking at his menacing face sunk him into reality fast: this man was never going to die. 

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Lionel asked in a slightly taunting tone. 

"Happy isn't exactly the word I would use." Lex answered with a scowl. "CLAUDIA!" 

"Sir.." Claudia tried to answer. 

"Did I specifically tell you never to let him into this office, nevertheless this building?" 

  
"I tried sir, but he wouldn't leave. He just barged right in and told me to fetch you." Claudia explained. "I'm sorry sir." 

"Maybe you should hire new help if you didn't want me here… I mean she didn't put up much of a fight." Lionel suggested, as he took another sip of his brandy. 

"Sir am I…" Claudia said fearfully. 

"No Claudia." Lex said calmly. "Just leave us please." 

She quietly obliged as she quickly scurried out of the office, closing the double doors behind her. 

"Now can you get to your point quickly before I call security." Lex threatened. "I don't have all day to play your games." 

"Is that any way to treat your father?" Lionel asked as he stood up from the leather chair, leaving both the glass and the cigar on the table as he walked around the desk. "It has been awhile since we've seen each other." 

"Actually we haven't been face to face alone in years and I happened to have liked our arrangement since then." Lex clarified. It would have been impossible to complete avoid his father since they were in direct competition with each other but other than public functions in which they would have happen to be attending together, they hadn't spoken to one another, let alone be in a room with just the two of them. "Just TELL me what you want and get the fuck out." 

"Let me just clarify to you, my foolish son, that it was I who permitted you to have maintained this charade. Don't think for one second that this so called vow of silence that you had for me all of these years would have lasted one second without me allowing it." 

"I guess you should win 'Father of the Year' dad. I mean I _really_ learned my lesson this time." Lex replied as he rolled his eyes. "So have you come to lecture me because you miss it so much or is there is an actual purpose to your visit." 

"I've come to save you son." Lionel exclaimed. 

"Save me? Oh give me a break!" 

"What have you been doing with your life these past few years? Floundering about with your company, wasting your natural born abilities to lead…" 

"I am leading…I am leading my company into the future and burying Luthorcorp into the ground." Lex replied firmly. 

"Ha…like I ever considered your little enterprise an actual threat. So you've been able to catch up to Luthorcorp in sales in these last couple of years, so what? It'll be your company that sinks before Luthorcorp even moves an inch. What is Lexcorp but a little flight of fancy. Luthorcorp is a legacy."

" _Luthorcorp is a legacy_", Lex repeated in a mocking tone. "etc, etc, etc. Like you haven't told me this a billion times since the day I came into this world. So having it ingrained in my brain isn't pain enough?"

"I guess it isn't enough if you are still piddling away doing god knows what."  
  


"So I am a failure." Lex replied. "Nothing I haven't heard before. So if we're done with the father-son encouragement, I hav…" as he started to walk around Lionel towards his desk.

"I'm NOT finished yet." Lionel said abruptly as he extended out his arm to block Lex's way.

"Okay, I've let you indulge yourself with that little diatribe of yours, but don't you ever touch me again!" Lex exclaimed as his face drew close to Lionel's so that there could be no mistake in what he was saying. "Tell me what you want and leave."

"Temper, temper Lex." Lionel said calmly, unfazed by Lex's threats. "You never could control that temper of yours could you? If you could only calm down for one second, then you'd realize I've come bearing good news."

"Good news?" Lex asked in disbelief. "Since when do you bring good news?"

"Since I've decided it was time for you to take responsibility for your life and end this farce. Playtime's over Lex. It's time for you live up to your namesake and take your place as the CEO of Luthorcorp."

"What?" Lex exclaimed, obviously in shock. " Unbelievable…so let me get this straight…you come here telling me how big a loser I've become and how I've been wasting my life all of these years and all of this, mind you, because you wanted me to, of course. And now you want me to take over Luthorcorp."

"Precisely. As for wasting your life, I knew you needed some time to live out your childish fancies but enough is enough. It's time for you to get back to reality. As much as you would like to hide from it, as much as you would like to pretend otherwise, your blood says you are a Luthor through and through. Not only that, but you are my son. That means that sooner or later you must take your place as head of Luthorcorp. It's your birthright."

"So you are just going to hand it over to me like that? On a silver platter?"

"Well maybe not that easily. I will have to make you remember what it means to be a Luthor but other than that, Luthorcorp is yours."

"What if I don't want it?" Lex asked.

"What if you don't want it?" Lionel repeated, not quite believing what he was hearing. "I spoonfeed you your future and you spit it out? Don't be an even bigger fool than I believe Lex. You may despise me but you are my flesh and blood so all that is mine is yours. And even if I can't convince you paternally, as a businessman, no man would be silly enough to refuse."

"Maybe I am that thoughtless father." Lex assured him. "The offer may have took me by surprise, nonetheless the answer's still the same: No thanks."

"Lex, if you think that this is a request, it's not." Lionel said sternly. "I just thought that I should at first appeal to you in good will. But if that's not going to cut it, then fine. You want it that way, fine."

"So are you leaving now?" Lex said absently as he sat at his desk, head down in the papers that laid on his table, hoping his father would leave quickly.

"This is not over Lex. Not by a longshot. You know me well enough to realize that I always get what I want, don't you worry. But let me leave you with this." Lionel replied, as opened the double doors to leave. "Can you really walk away from your _destiny_?"

As Lionel walked out of Lex's office, the words still lingered in the air and Lex couldn't help but think about them. He looked back at the papers and realized there was no way he could go back to looking at them. Instead, he turned his chair around towards the window and began to stare blankly at the snow that was still falling to the ground.

_Screen begins to blur as it fades to black. _

****

2006

_screen fades in slowly as it refocuses back to reveal the light of a candle. The camera pans out widely to reveal Lana, dressed in a simple black cocktail dress, in darkly lit room, her face lit up by the aura of the candles that surrounded the room. As the camera pans further out, one can see that Lex is dressed in his usual suit with a crisp white shirt with no tie. _

"So what do you think?" Lana asked him as she sat back in her chair and smiled.  
  


"It certainly does live up to its name." Lex replied honestly as he looked around the restaurant. An eclectic assortment of people filled the candle lit restaurant. In the entrance way, there was a small candy store that greeted customers with a message that this was not your typical restaurant. The open kitchen was placed beside the candy store , as the cooks and stoves could be clearly seen from where any of the tables were situated. There was no escaping the aromas of the kitchen or the sizzling of the skillets. And last but not least, in the corner, there was a tiny stage, where there was a guy strumming on his guitar, completely entranced by his own music.

"Yeah. I found _Gypsy_ a month after I moved to Metropolis." Lana explained. "A friend of mine just took me here and it just blew me away. It's quaint, intimate and despite its strange surrounding, it feels homey. It also helps that the food is great here."

"So what would you like to order folks?" the waiter asked.

"Umm…could I have a small salad with a raspberry vinegrette and pumpkin ravioli with mushrooms please?" Lana said as she scanned through the menu.

"And I have the same salad and the pink salmon. And could you get your finest bottle of white wine. Thank you."

"Coming right up." The waiter replied, as she took the menus away.

"So tell me Lana." Lex asked mischievously as if the question had been burning on his mind ever since she left him that afternoon. "What was the real reason for you to just pack up and leave for Europe? If I remember clearly, when I said bye to you, you said 'I see you later'. Then when I came to Clark the next day, he told me you had disappeared."

"You remember that?" Lana asked. "God, you have a better memory than I do… so you want to know why I just left Smallville for Europe no less?" As she continued her story with a nervous chuckle, Lex couldn't help but smile. She was beautiful under any light but in the darkness, where her face was lit up by candlelight, her beauty became the focal point of the whole room. He sat there quietly while he listened intently to her story. "Well, it's pretty simple actually. I remember being at Clark's party, talking to everyone and you what people usually say. "Have a nice summer", "Hope to keep in touch", "What are you doing after high school" etc, blah, blah blah. The basic, generic stuff. As you know, I was planning on going to the University of Metropolis with Clark, Chloe and Pete. We had planned it all out about how great it was going to be just to be on our own together. Anyways, while I was talking everybody, it just seemed that despite the monotonous, cliché things people kept telling me, everyone seemed to have some kind of idea about what they wanted to be doing in life after high school. Okay, I know that most of those things people say never truly pan out and people change their minds, well maybe not Chloe cuz she's going to be a reporter no matter what but other than her…anyways, when I was sitting up in my room that night, I just felt like I needed to find myself."

"You could have found yourself at college." Lex stated, "I mean that's where most people find themselves."

"Yeah, that's true, but I really needed to do this on my own. If I had gone to college, I would be with Clark, Chloe and Pete, and despite how much I love them, I needed to be alone to know who I was and who I could be. I mean, after Whitney left, the next two years of high school were kind of a blur. What did I really do in those years? I went to school, worked at the Talon and had this unresolved relationship with Clark that never did pan out."

"I remember that." Lex said with a laugh. "I kept telling him to pursue you, to just flat out go after you, but despite all of my advice, he kept stalling and running away from you. I mean he was always THIS close and then he'd chicken out. Sometimes I wonder why he didn't just listen to me? I mean, if I was him, and you were right there in front of me, I would have just grabbed you and kiss…well you get my drift."

"Why didn't he listen to you?" Lana asked with a chuckle, clearly amused by Lex's confession. "Instead, we kept dancing around each other forever and I got so tired of that so I told him to ask Chloe out but of course, being Clark, he messed that up too. And then we all decided to become friends, which was the best thing. But other than that drama, nothing was happening in my life. And if I went to college, nothing would happen still. You know how much I love talking about traveling and museums and all those things I would learn in books about them."

"Yeah, I remember." Lex reminisced with a smile. "We'd be sipping on coffees at the Talon and then you would talk about this painting you had seen in a book somewhere and how you dreamt about seeing for real. You would always have this look on your face where you'd be so content but you didn't know if you could ever make your dreams come true."

"When I was thinking about all the things I have been missing from the world that night in my room, I just thought that if I didn't leave now, I might never will. So I told Nell that night about my plans, and of course she freaked. But despite her worries, I assured her that I would be okay and when that didn't worked, I told her I was 18 and there was no stopping me!" Lana said with a laugh.

"I'm sure that went over well." Lex laughed as he imagined the chaos that must have transpired that night.

"Yeah, real well. But I did it. I packed my bags, took all the money that I had saved up for college and the little extra that I had for safe keeping and left. And Nell, despite all of her protestations, did drive me to Metropolis to the airport and there I waited until there was a free flight to somewhere to Europe and I took it."

"Where did you end up?" Lex asked.

"Paris." Lana said with a smile. "I mean you told me about it and I was always amazed but you were right. You really can't describe unless you go for yourself."

"I'm really glad that you went for yourself." Lex admitted, for whatever was making her smile so widely couldn't have been less than wonderful. " I mean we all missed you and wondered where you were travelling next but we were still all happy for you."

"Thanks." Lana answered. "I mean, I took a year to travel around Europe and then I went to school the next year in Paris. I mean my French still sucked but at least by the end of it, I could _parler en Français_. By the end of it, two years had passed by and I though maybe it was time to come home."

"So, the real question is," Lex said as he leaned closer to her from across the table, "did you find yourself? Did you find your destiny?"

"I think so." Lana smiled as she leaned in closer to him. "I realized that after all that is said and done, I was supposed to be helping people. I was in college in France when I met this girl who was really involved in child rights activism. When she asked me if I was interested, I had to tell her that I didn't know much about the subject. But after awhile, we got close and she somehow got me involved. I mean, going to those conferences and traveling with her to places where children were in such poverty and needed our help so badly, gave my life purpose, you know? I mean, I never thought about how much good that I could give to anyone but when doing that, I really felt like not only am I helping that child but I was helping me, you know?"

"That's great Lana." Lex said with admiration. "I'm so happy for you."

"What about you Lex? What is your destiny?" Lana asked him with a twinkle in her eye.

"To rule the world I guess." Lex answered in a teasing, mocking tone.

"Lex, you might be thinking that you're kidding about it but I know enough about you to know that you're not really joking about it."

"So you're not offended by it? I mean, here you are talking about saving the children, doing good in the world and when you look at me, I'm going off about trying to become the most powerful person on the planet and you don't flinch a muscle."

"That's because I know you mean it. Even when I was that little girl in high school and you were my so-called boss and I thought you were so mysterious, I always knew that you aspired to be great. And I accept that. Even before we met, before I found you skinny-dipping with that girl in your pool that day,"

"You just had to hold that over my again didn't you?" Lex answered as he shook his head.  
  


"Always." Lana laughed teasingly. "before all of that, our fates have been cast. I mean, I don't have to ask if you even believe in destiny because I know you do. And you know well enough that we can't change it. We just follow our respective paths and live our lives. It's the only way to live."

"You're amazing, you know that right?" Lex said simply as he reached over the table to take her hand, eyeing her lips.

"I do occasionally." Lana teased as she held on tightly to his fingers. "But seriously, even though you are destined to become the most powerful person on the planet, remember: _Ambition is the ice on the lake of emotion_." 

"Smart girl. So what great philosopher, philanthropist came up with that one?" Lex asked as he leaned in closer towards her lips. Although he didn't want to rush it, he could literally feel the heat that came off their bodies.

"I did." She whispered, as she leaned in and kissed him, igniting the flame between them.

****

As they walked hand in hand towards her apartment door, silence filled the air. Although they had been talking incessantly during their whole date, the moment that Lex had parked his Porsche and helped her out of the car, they could barely utter one word to each other. Although they both felt that they needed to end this awkward silence however the fact was it was it was nearing the end of the date and however silly the rationale was, maybe if there were no words said, maybe the date could last a little longer.

"So…what did you think of our first date?" Lex said finally as they stood in front of her door.

"Hmm..it was okay…" Lana said nonchanlantly as she turned around to face him without letting go of his hand.

"Only okay?" Lex said surprisingly. "I must be losing my touch."

"Yeah, that Lex Luthor charm isn't as hyped up as you think." Lana teased. "I mean you see woman after woman, conquest after conquest, and I guess after awhile the moves becomes rusty."

"You sure do know how to hurt a guy's ego." Lex said, pretending to be hurt.

"Well how about you? What did you think of our first date?" Lana said with a smile.

"Okay," Lex, mocking her last comment. "well maybe I'm lying. Maybe it was great. Stupendous, maybe even unforgettable. And maybe," Lex started to talk more slowly, as he pulled her closer to him. "I'm hoping for a second date, sometime when I get back from my business trip?" his eyes started to widen, hoping to get some sympathy.

"You must be reading my mind cuz I was thinking the exact same thing." Lana said, smiling even wider this time, matching Lex's as well. "You know, I thought that both of us going on a date might have been awkward but it wasn't. It's been perfect." Her voice grew soft and quiet as she gently touched his cheek with her hand.

Their foreheads touched as they stood there in silence and slowly got closer to kiss. As they kissed, Lex ran his fingers through her long wavy hair as she touched his cheek and held the back of his head. The kiss felt as if it would last forever until Lex slowly pulled away.

"Can I come up?" Lex whispered, as their foreheads touched once more. As he whispered, Lana's grasp on his dark coat became tighter and she began to shiver.

"I don't know….it might be too soon." Lana whispered back, still holding onto his coat.

"You could think of it as two old friends saying goodbye until the next time we meet." Lex offered as he looked into her eyes.

"Yeah, you would like that wouldn't you?" Lana answered back. "But as much as it pains me to say, it's just our first date. We'll have all the time in the world."

"Alright." Lex said with a sigh. "I won't pressure you." As he continued to whisper into her ear, he noticed her pulling him closer to her as she would sigh quietly. "_Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend, but is captived, and proves weak or untrue. yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain._"

"Donne…"Lana said breathlessly, as she held onto his coat even tighter and began to finger his white shirt collar. "whisper to me some more…" she sighed as she kissed his cheek and nibbled on his ear.

"Take me to you, imprison me," Lex whispered as his lips got closer to her ear, and then kissed her forehead. "for I, Except you enthrall me, never shall be free, nor even chaste, except you ravish me. Is that good?"

"Real good." Lana sighed, as she kissed him softly on the lips. "And that's why I think I should go in." she whispered further as she gave him small kisses all over his face. "Cuz if I don't go in right now, I don't think I'll ever want to move from this spot ever again. And that will be bad since people are starting to look at us funny when they go into the video store." Lana remarked as she look over his shoulder at the smiling people who would stare before going into the store.

"Who cares what they think?" Lex whispered, clearly unfazed by their spectators.

"Well you don't but I do…it comes with living under a video store." Lana said with a small laugh as she began to pull away from him. "Sooner or later, they'll all come back and I'm going to have to face them, not you." As she walked to her door, he still held onto her hand. "Come on Lex…"

"Just one more," Lex whispered as he pulled her back to him. "I mean I won't be able to see you for a whole month." As she got closer to him again, he held her face and kissed her passionately.

"Lex…"Lana said between kisses. "I have to go…." She finally pulled away from him and stood by her door. "I'll see when you come home okay?"

"Remember about our date okay?" Lex said as she unlocked her door.

"I'll remember." Lana whispered as she took one more look at him. "Bye." She whispered softly as she closed the door.

Lex stood staring her door for awhile, his heart still beating fast from her kisses. He didn't know how, he didn't know why but he couldn't stop standing there and he just couldn't stop grinning. The night was even better than he could have ever imagined it. And now it was a little hard to tear away. Eventually, after he found his footing, he began to walk slowly backwards towards his car. He sighed heavily as took one more look at her apartment and walked around to the driver's side to unlock the car door. As he was about to put his car key to unlock the door, suddenly he heard Lana's voice.

"LEX!" she called out loudly, as she peered out her window.

"Lana?" Lex asked, clearly puzzled by her calls.

"Come upstairs Lex." Lana said simply. as he walked closer to the building, she revealed a set of keys in her palm. Once he got close enough, she smiled widely as she threw her keys for him to catch.

With his quick reflexes, he caught the keys with ease and ran as fast as he could to her door to unlock it.

_Fade to black. _

****

2016

_As the screen fades in again, there is a close-up shot of a pair of keys between someone's fingers. Screen cuts to Lex as you can see clearly that he is the one holding them as he stares intensely at them._

Although Lex had just come home from work, the words that his father had said still resonated in his ears. Not only that but he was thinking of Lana again. He had tried to bury her away from his mind, and tried to go on with his life, but only recently did has he started to think about her once more. At first, he would remember bits and pieces but now it was going a little too far. Just the fact that he was just sitting in his kitchen, staring at his keys must mean something bad. _Get ahold of yourself Lex! _He told himself as he tried to shake his thoughts away. Maybe it was getting a little too warm in here. It was like he was slowly being suffocated by the heat, by something. All he knew was that he needed to get out of here and fast.

The cold air outside hit him quickly as he stepped outside of his highrise apartment. The snow was still falling down but it felt unusual cold for a November night. He buttoned his long dark coat up and folded his arms to keep warm. As he began to walk the streets, the people who passed him by became a total blur to him as he thought of his father offer and then of Lana. Was this his destiny? Was this the way his life was supposed to be? Confused, discontent and without her? He should have cherished every moment that he had with her, let every minute they had together last as long as it possibly could. _I have to let her go, _Lex thought himself, as cupped his gloved hands over his face to keep warm. _I have to stop thinking about her. _All the logical reasons that he could think of began to swim in his head as he turned the corner to the long alleyway beside the church. If he could only focus, maybe things will get back to being relatively normal.

However something he heard in the air startled him and made him stop right on the spot.

_Lex… _

It's probably the wind.

_You're my lover, Lex. _

Just the wind.

_We will never be apart… _

Please, let it be the wind.

_Lex, come back to me. _

The voices started to come to him all at once. At first he just wanted the voices to go away. His eyes were closed so tightly, hoping the pain would just end. Losing her the first time was hard enough but hearing her voice again was breaking his heart again, but he couldn't help himself. He had to answer back.

"Lana…"He whispered ever so softly as he looked around him as the snow fell down. "Lana…"

_Lex…. _

"Lana…where are you?" he whispered again as he opened his eyes. But once they were open, the only sound that could be heard was the wind blowing softly around him.

****

2006

As Lana rolled over in the bed, her eyes began to squint open as she saw a blurry looking Lex sitting on the side of her bed zipping his pants up.

"Lex.." she mumbled softly, as she sat up to wrap her arms around him. "Do you have to go right now?"

"Well good morning sleepyhead." Lex replied as he rubbed affectionately her arms. "Yeah, I have to go. My flight leaves at 1 and I have to some things to do so…" as he talked he began to turn around to face her.

"Don't kiss me!" Lana said unexpectedly as she covered her mouth with her hand.

"What do you mean, 'don't kiss you'?" Lex said with confusion.

"Morning breath!" Lana said in a muffled voice under her hand. "wait…" she jumped out of her bed and straight to her bathroom and quickly started to brush her teeth.

"You're such a funny girl sometimes." Lex laughed as he followed the adorable creature wearing a pink butterfly tank top and pyjama pants to the bathroom while buttoning the last buttons on his shirt.

"Well," Lana replied as she spit out the toothpaste into the sink and began to rinse her mouth. "I'd rather kiss you goodbye with a fresh breath than with that nasty taste I had in my mouth before. See?" she said as she walked out of the bathroom and wrapped her arms immediately around his neck. "Isn't this a whole lot better?"

and then she kissed him.

"Mmm.." Lex replied with a smile. "You're right. You're always right" as he bent down closer to kiss her again. As their kisses began to deepen, Lana slowly began to pull away, as their foreheads touched again. "Don't forget about our date okay?" she whispered.

"Never." Lex replied as he held on to her for dear life.

_Screen blurs as the camera moves to the right and fades to black. _

****

2016

_As screen moves to the right, silence is replaced by fumbled footsteps and Lex's mumblings. _

Lex stumbled through the darkness as he searched for the lightswitch. He hadn't been in this closet for some time and for some reason he couldn't remember where it was. As he started to move his hand across the wall, finally he stumbled on the switch and the light started to illuminate the closet.

He wasn't sure why he was looking around in here or why he had the impulse to look for it. It was just something he felt like he need to do. Using the stool left in there, he stepped up and searched for the box which must have been hidden amongst the junk that he kept buried away on the shelves. As he ransacked the shelves, finally, amongst the dust, he had found it.

He sat down on the closet floor quickly as he blew off the dust from on top of the small box and ran his fingers gently over the carvings on top of it. It was an old wooden box that belonged to Lana. She kept her diary, her letters and personal thoughts in it. But this was also where he had left her letters to him as well. His hands trembled as he slowly opened the box.

He remembered the first anniversary they had together. A year of being together. And amongst the things she had given him was a packet of letters tied up in a bow.

_-What is this? _

-_My letters to you. _

_-What do you mean? When did you have time to write me letters? _

_-Remember that month when you went on your business trip after our first date? _

_-Yeah. _

-_Well I never told you at the time, but I wrote you a letter every single day you were gone. _

_-Why didn't you tell me about it? _

_-Well because it was a silly girly thing to do. I was never going to send them to you. I just needed to put my thoughts into words, that's all. And I thought if it didn't work out between us, I would just burn them and then you would never have to know about them. But of course, we lasted and now…I want you to read them. I mean, despite its sappyness, it still shows you how much I love you… _

He searched through the letters until he found one letter that was addressed to him. His hands held it so carefully as he read her delicate writing.

_Dear Lex, _

_I don't know where you are right now. The last time you called was when you were in Rome, but you haven't called since. These nights when I am missing you like there's no tomorrow, I wish that I had kept something of you to remember you by. Something sweet and that smells of you. _

_Then I think about how we met. While you were growing up to be among the wealthy and privileged, I was a farmgirl in Smallville. It was a wonder that we had even met the first time around, the second time around was a miracle. Of all the places your father would have sent you, he sent you to Smallville. And although I thought at first you were arrogant and confidant, instead you became a wonderful friend who understood me like no one else could. _

_Nevertheless, when I left Smallville, I thought that I would never see you again. And then one day, God sent you back to me, and the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew. I think we both knew. We knew that fate had brought us back together and nothing would tear us apart. We may be separated by oceans, by land and by those who will try to pull us away from each other, but we will never be apart. _

_ So, take your things and yourself and come back to me. I need you, I need you, I need you. _

_ Your girl, _

_ Lana _

As Lex read the last words of her letter, he began to pull his knees closer to him as bent down his head between his knees. While he closed his eyes, he wondered silently if he could shut his eyes tightly enough, maybe the pain would go away and she'd be by his side again. He shut his eyes even tight as his eyes watered. Wrapping his arms tightly around his knees, the only comfort he could find was from his gentle rocking and the soft ticking of a clock nearby.

To be continued.


End file.
